QMI Agency

Little girls who play with Barbie dolls may feel like certain careers are unattainable for them, a new U.S. study claims.

Playing with Barbie "creates a limit on the sense of what's possible for their future," Oregon State University researcher Aurora Sherman said in a release about her study, which was published Wednesday in the journal Sex Roles.

Sherman had 37 girls between the ages of four and seven play with one of three toys: fashion Barbie, career Barbie and Mrs. Potato Head. After, the girls were asked what careers they could do out of a list of 10.

Sherman found the girls who played with either Barbie thought they could do fewer jobs than boys could do.

Girls who played with Mrs. Potato Head reported nearly the same number of possible careers for themselves and for boys.

Sherman said the results do not mean parents should throw out Barbies, but should ensure children have lots of different of toys.